Improvement in match-machine



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Letters Patent No. 93,525, dated Ail-gust 10, 18x69.

IMPROVEMENT IN MATCH-MACHINE.

The-Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To whom it may concern to the accompanying drawings, and to thc letters ofreference marked thereon.

My invention consists in the construction of such a machine that match-splints and similar sticks can be cut from blocks of wood placed in the periphery of a revolving wheel; in thc manner of feeding out the blocks through tlre rim of the revolving wheel; and in the m'cans used for feeding the series of knivcstoward the blocks, and in giving them a transverse reciprocating mot-ion to the extent required.

'lo' enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and manner of operation. y

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a plan view ofthe machine.,

Figure 2 is a detached view of the mechanism for feeding the knives up to the blocks.

Figure 3 is a detached View of the mechanism which operates to reciprocate the knife-table laterally.

Figures 4 and 5 are detached views of the devices for feeding the blocks out to the knives.

Figure 6 shows a section ofthe revolving wheel, and a method of holding the blocks.v

Figure 7 shows another method of holding ,the blocks to the wheel. g

Figure 8 shows still another method of holding the blocks to the wheel.

. Figure 9 is a view` of the devices which force the blocks out of the wheel.

A,in the drawings, represents the frame-work of the machine, and needs no definite description, as any support which gives to the machine the requisite stability and facility of operation, however constructed, is just as good. I

. B is a wheel, of the desired diameter and width of face to hold the requisite number of blocks of the required size, from which the splints are to be cut, and has a `centre shaft, (l, revolving in hearings upon frame A.

Upon shaft G, and outsidt` of its bearings, are grooved cams J J, which revolve with the shaft, and give mo-y tion to shafts K K, through pins c c, working in the grooves of cams J J, and operating the arms of rocking-shafts JJ which in turn cause pawls O O, having springs O O', to take into teeth on ratchet-wheel l. This causes the shafts K K to rotate far enough to draw or force the knife-table I-I, with the knives l,

' toward the revolving wheel B, far enough to cut a match-splint, or only half the diameter, as may he necessary, according as different devices are to be used to hold or feed out the blocks from which the splints are to be out.

The grooves in cams J J are of such form, that as the centre-shaft C revolves, the rock-shafts J J are oscillated, and give to the arms which hold and contain the pawls O O and the springs O O' au alternate rising-aml-falling motion, so that the pawls, Vwhen the arms are raised, will take hold of the teeth in the ratchet-wheels Z- l, and turn the shafts K K.

Upon the end of shaft (hand outside of cam J, is a gear-wheel, O', which gears into another wheel, and revolves shaft D.

Upon shaft D, and revolving with it, is groovcd sliding cam It.

F is a bracket, which supports rock-shaft G; and upon rock-shaft G, having arm f, projects a pin, e, which gives motion to the rock-shaft.

By thel revolution of the cam E, the shaft H is first turned in one 4direotion'a certain distance, and, as the cam finishes its revolution, the shaft is rotated back to its rst position. v

As shaft H is thus rotated, a' screw-thread on said shaft H turns in nut H', which is attached to the-knife table H, causing said knife-table, with the knives or cutters I` arranged thereon, to reciprocate in a horizontal direction, and to the amount of half the diameter of the splint.

Usually, the gear-wheel upon shaft D has twice the number of teeth that the gear-wheel has upon shaft C, in order that the wheel B may revolve twice to one v reciprocation of the rock-shaft G and screw-shaft H. Upon the knife-table I are .knives I. Any number of knives may be used, according to the size ofthe splints to `bc cut, and the size or length of the blocks on their faces, but enough to cnt the whole width of such blocks at once.

The blocks I), from which the splints are to be cut, are placed in openings in the rim of thc wheel B, as at X, andare held firmly in place by means of curved springs b b, on the face `of the wheel B, which springs are-compresscd by screws b li', and caused to hearupon the sides of the block, and to keep it steady in its place in opening or slot X, as shown in fig. 7. Or wedges, drawn and held by screws from within wheel B, or any other equivalent device, may be used for holding and securing the blocks. This feeding-device is only intended to be used when the blocks are held to the cylinder, as shown in fig. 6.

When thus retained in position, the blocks are'fed out tothe cutters or knives by means of screw-shafts L L, one end .resting upon shaft C, and the other in Y ing the rim of wheel B, and having a ratchet-wheel, Q, tirmly attached thereto, near the end next to shaft O.

On the screw-shafts L L are nuts L L', and extendfrom, and firmly fixed thereto, are ibreiug-rods L" l. As the wheel B revolves, carrying with it the devices above described, the teeth of the ratchetwheel Q come in contact with dog Q', which is firmly fixed to frame A, causing thc screw-shafts L L to be partially rotated in nuts L L', thus forcing the rods LL upon the splint-block P, which, in turh, is driven out half the diameter ofthe splint, or the whole diameter,

- as maybe desired, by giving a greater gain to the' screw-thread, or by having fewer teeth upon the ratchetwheel.

When the blocks are fed out to the knives or cutters, through the rim of the wheel, by the devices above described, it is not necessary that the knifetablc H, with the knives thereon, should he fed toward the blocks at all, as the blocks may be fed ont to the knives or cutters the whole diameter ot` a matchstick at each revolution ofthe wheel B. In this case, the rock-shafts J 'J' should be detached iiom the grooved cams J J', so that the knife-table, with the knives, will remain at the same distancefrom the wheel B, retaining only its lateral reciprocating motion through shaft D, grooved cani E, rock-shaft Gr, Ste.

Another method of attaching th'e block l, from which the splints are to be cut, to the wheel B, is to cut first a dovetailed-tenon on one side of said block, which fits into a dovetailed-groove in the rim of said wheel B, as seen in lig. 9. When it is thus arranged, the mechanism for feeding the knife-table toward the blocks, or revolving wheel B, must be so arranged that at every revolution of said wheel the table and knives will be fed forward the distance ofthe diameter of the splint; but when devices are used for forcing the blocks out of, and during one revolution of wheel B, the distance of one-half the diameter of t-he splint, then, in such case, the knife-table is to be advanced only the distance of half the diameter of the splint. Or the blocks may be held in the rim of the wheel hy screws c, as seen in tig. 8.

In this way, the whole of the blocks projecting from the surface of the wheel are cut into splints, thus avoiding the usual method of gluing the blocks to segments that are bolted upon the wheel, 'or upon the surfaceof the wheel itself.

To restore the knife-table and the knives to their former position, in order to commence cutting a new series of blocks, it is only necessary to raise the Rawls O 0 out of contact with the ratchet-wheels l l, thon turn the crank-winch K". in the direction to reverse the shafts K K, and the desired effect is produced.

I am aware that blocks of wood have been attached to the periphery ofa revolving wheel, to be there held in order to cut suoli blocks of wood into splints for matches, veneers, Src.; but such mode ofattachiug, as heretofore practised, is different from mine, as herein described.

Having th ns desclibed my invention,

What I claim, and desire to seciu'e by Lett-ers Patl cnt, is-

1. The screw-shafts K K. and K', gear-wheels K. nuts H, knife-table H, knives I, in combination with shaft O, having grooved cams' J J, rock-shafts J' J', with their arms, pawls, and ratchet-whels l l, constructed and arranged to operate together, in the manner and for the purpose substantially' as described.

2. rlhe combination ofthe main shaft C,gear-wheel O', shaft l), sliding grooved cam E, rock-shaft G, and its arms, screw-shaft H, nut H', knife-table H, and knives I, constructed and arranged to operate together, in the manner and' for the purpose described. 3. Slot X, in the rim ofv revolving wheel B, having spring-plates b b and screw-bolts b b', arranged to operate in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

4. The combination of screw-shafts L L, nuts L' L', push-rods L L", and ratchet-wheels Q Q, when constructed to operate in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

XVM. B. ELTON HEAD.

Witnesses:

A. ELTONHEAD, A. S. MEGUIRE. 

